While this may be the start of a new year, it means nothing to the tumultuous nature of the video games industry. 2025 seems set to be a repeat 2024, which we covered before. In the last week, three different studios all announced they are closing their doors. The studios in question are Counterplay Games, Toadman Interactive, and Freejam. Along side these closures, lay offs were announced at Splash Damage and its subsidiary company BULKHEAD.
In a post made on LinkedIn, co-founder and CRO of Companion Group Victor D. highlighted the depressing start to 2025.
Counterplay Games were the team behind Godfall, a multiplayer action RPG published by Gearbox Interactive in 2020. Toadman Interactive developed titles like Immortal: Unchained and the recent EvilvEvil, as well as a support studio on several titles, including the Warhammer: Vermintide IP, DC Universe Online, and Planetside 2. Freejam were the small Indie team behind Robocraft and its sequel that was in Early Access since 2023.
On social media, the phrase “survive till 2025” was bandied around with a certain mix of humour and optimism (or perhaps cynicism), but it’s hard to imagine that we see any sort of a positive shift after the industry’s worst year for lay offs and studio closures.
We wish the best of luck to those hard working and passionate developers at Counterplay Games, Toadman Interactive, Freejam, Splash Damage, and BULKEAD.
